“After WWII, Europe’s devastated nations had lost all interest in military glory: to protect themselves from a return to “conflict and destruction”, they sought to dethrone the old obsession with national sovereignty, by focusing instead on mutual cooperation. But today the ideal of closer integration is fading.
“There are worrying signs that even the most liberal-minded Europeans, beset by constant crises, are reverting to a nationalist mindset. Take the Dutch. Until a few years ago, a visitor to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam could see tributes to Rembrandt, Vermeer and other great Dutch artists. Now, after a lengthy refit, one finds a boastful celebration of military victories of the Dutch navy over the French and British in the 17th century and the central role of Dutch troops in helping defeat Napoleon at Waterloo. How things have changed”. (Dominique Moisi, de Volkskrant, Amsterdam).
The principal reason for this is that EU expansion has gone too far. I am an ardent supporter of the idea of the EU, but even I would support a down-scaling of ambition. The EU has become too big, unwieldy and bureaucratic. Not even experts understand the Agricultural Policy. The EU has strayed into matters best left to the constituent nations. The inclusion of countries contiguous to Russia, and the stupid planning of a string of rocket sites along the Russian frontier, were always going to cause resentment in a Russia paranoid about its frontier security. And, sure enough, it has! (Thank you, the US and NATO). Too many cultures, too many languages, too many interests and too many opinions to take into account.
The latest poll shows that 51% of British people favour leaving the EU. No! Don’t leave it; reform it, root and branch. The EU was a great Epicurean project, now lost to ambition and paper-shuffling. There is no magic in sheer size.
I completely concur, and I’m pleased that Corbyn has said that Labour will campaign to stay in the EU. I agree with the progressive critique of EU-imposed austerity on countries like Greece, but I’m yet to understand how a British withdrawal would make the situation better. The nations of southern Europe are too weak to stand up to Germany. It will take Cameron’s so-called Northern Alliance with countries like Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Finland to reform the EU from within. Such reforms should include: a reform of agricultural policy to maximise food production instead of paying farmers to grow nothing, a reform of the Schengen Area to allow countries to enforce their own borders, a renegotiation of the TTIP trade agreement to prevent corporations from suing governments for so called ‘anti business’ policies (Investor state dispute settlement), a reduction in bureaucracy and waste in Brussels, and an end to laws discouraging countries from nationalising industries (rail in particular.)
Great post! Owen Bell for Prime Minister!
Agree with you both about the EU and add one MAJOR reform in terms of security: unequivocally break away from American foreign policies which have so damaged European security. England’s security is intimately tied to Europe and not to the “special relationship” policies which have recently produced chaos and catastrophe.
The repeated American resort to force with the excuse of getting rid of this or that bad guy across Europe and MENA has brought death and refugees in catastrophic proportions to Europe’s doorstep. A strong Eurocentric foreign policy would be an EU gift to the United States.
like the idea of Europe, but in what way is it Epicurean?
I think the idea of the EU is Epicurean In this sense: for centuries the European nations have squabbled, and the mess ended up in two horrendous World Wars. Europeans had two choices in 1945 – to go on as they had been or to seek the high road to a state of improved ataraxia, peace and prosperity by creating a union. It took time; it is imperfect; it includes countries that shouldn’t have been included, at least one run by proto- fascists (Hungary) and it has too many control freaks. It is blamed for everything that goes wrong, has become very bureaucratic ( thank you, France) and all that has been achieved has been done too quickly and unorganically. But, if you are an historian then all these gripes are over-ridden by the idea of the European nations finally burying the hatchet and cooperating. If the object of our existence on this planet is living, and living pleasantly, then the creation of the EU is one of the more surprising Epicurean events in several centuries. ( For how much longer I am sad to say I don’t know. Doesn’t look good)
Today I watched a big debate at my university about whether we should leave the EU. Amongst the ‘outers’ included the rather colourful Godfrey Bloom, whose views are unsavoury to say the least. Regardless, I’m pleased to say that the student audience of about 500 students voted overwhelmingly to stay in. There is hope for the future after all!